eighth wonder of his world
by finish line
Summary: Sasuke/Sakura. AU. Sasuke has no idea how he should feel after meeting one strange girl with pink hair and green eyes and who sports sundress in one cold autumn day. She is like the eighth wonder of the world. Surely, it does not call for love. Does it?
1. the lake of konoha

**authored by **finish line

**eighth wonder of his world**

**»:«**

**chapter 1. the lake of konoha**

_In the splendour of Konoha's Lake I'd wait,  
>keeping an eye for your arrival with my fate.<br>I'd lie myself among the field of pretty anemones,  
>and please come to me and kiss my face.<br>As my eyes watch the sun continue to set,  
>I promise you my waiting will never ever end.<br>_

Uchiha Sasuke raised an elegant, ebony-coloured eyebrow upon reading the short stanza of the poem he had seen beautifully scribbled upon a torn piece of paper. The pages of the book he got from one of the numerous shelves of Konoha Gakuen's library flanked the note containing the poem.

Throwing a quizzical look at the boy with black hair tied up who sat beside him, he called, "Ooi, Nara."

Nara Shikamaru's hand, which was leafing through a page of the book he was reading, stopped in midair as he paused and looked to his side. He lifted his eyebrows lazily and, sighing, closed the book he held. Sasuke frowned when his close friend yawned and stretched.

"Troublesome," muttered Shikamaru. His arms were still stretching upwards when he voiced out, "What is it now, Sasuke? Didn't find anything that might help you in the English project given by Takada-sensei?"

"No, it's not that," replied Sasuke, handing the piece of paper to the resident genius of Konoha Gakuen. "I'm wondering if you recognise whose penmanship that is. It seems to me that it's a girl's."

Shikamaru let his hand support his head through holding up his chin, his elbow propped on the table.

"_In the splendour of Konoha's Lake I'd wait _. . . ," read Shikamaru in a lazy tone. "The paper used isn't too old in my perspective. Why do you ask, anyway?"

The Uchiha's eyes settled on the paper in Shikamaru's hand. As Shikamaru had already asked, he also wondered in deep questioning why he was asking whose handwriting that was. In his opinion, the penmanship drove him in. It was simply intriguing. The way the hiragana, katakana, and kanji were written was impeccably beautiful. It almost radiated off something mysterious—something that made the concise poem even more enigmatic than it appeared to be.

"I'm asking you if you recognise the penmanship, slothful genius," replied Sasuke, placing a soupcon of sarcasm at the name he called his friend. He leaned at the back of the chair he sat on and folded his arms, now looking at the boy sitting beside him. "I wasn't asking you how old the paper is. Neither did I ask you to respond me with a question of your own."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I was just as curious as you are inquisitive of who the writer is," he explained. He set the paper atop the closed book he had been reading and, once again, propped his head with his hand. "You were never interested in useless and dull things as poems before, Sasuke, why curious now about a piece of paper? Troublesome."

The other black-haired lad could only narrow his obsidian-coloured eyes in annoyance. If Shikamaru was not going to answer, he could care less. It was not as if he was thoroughly curious about the identity of the poet of the short stanza.

"Besides, you wouldn't want to know who wrote it anyway," interjected Shikamaru, before Sasuke could utter despicable words. "And, by the way, you can't use this poem in our project. It's Japanese. English is troublesome, don't you think?"

"Ah, hn."

At that specific moment, Sasuke pondered on what Shikamaru meant by his former statement. He did not want to appear meddlesome because he was certain he was not that kind of person and would never ever be that. However, in one corner of his mind sprouted a question that somehow made a little sense.

What was the problem with asking and knowing? What did Shikamaru mean by him not wanting to know who wrote the poem? Could he have known who the poet was?

Later, after he was able to gather a few internationally acknowledged English poems, he secretly snatched the note away from Shikamaru, who had fallen asleep in the library. He stood up from his seat and stared at his friend drearily, pocketed the paper, and left his friend and the library before lunch break could even end.

**»:«**

"OOI, TEME!"

Sasuke's right eye twitched as he continued fumbling with his pencil and eraser. He ignored the loud complaints as his blond (and loud) best friend bumped onto many students upon the process of advancing towards him.

_I'd lie myself among the field of pretty anemones _. . .

The good-looking eighteen-year-old senior of Konoha Gakuen inwardly scoffed. It was autumn, and anemones were supposed to appear in early spring. But then again, he considered the fact that the writer could have written it during spring. There were many possibilities. He even considered the idea of the student (he assumed) having her mind living in springtime.

"Teme!"

Still, the boy ignored his vociferous best friend, but gave the blond boy a snide glare before resuming what he was doing—playing with his writing materials. His thoughts drifted towards the poem for the second time among those minutes.

_and please come to me and kiss my face._

It was tender. The person, who wrote the short stanza and presumably a girl, might have been _desperate_ enough by just thinking of that. To whomever the poet was dedicating the poem for, he would have to note that that person should be quite _careful_. The girl was getting highly delirious.

"_TEME!_"

"What do you want, Dobe?"

Sasuke finally snapped. He harshly looked up and glared with utmost intensity, not missing the way the atmosphere in the classroom turned gloomy and cold . . . not missing how his classmates suddenly gulped in the intimidation he radiated off.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto was not the type of person to be easily overawed by his arrogant looks and browbeating glares. Maybe that character was what earned Naruto the 'I am _the_ Uchiha Sasuke's Best Friend' award of idiocy given by the (equally) idiotic students of the school population. Not that Sasuke was concerned about that.

"Our group has thought of an _aaawesooome_ activity this coming Saturday right after our classes!" cried Naruto, evidently excited. He slammed both of his palms atop Sasuke's desk and grinned from ear to ear that the said grin almost split his face crosswise.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Be sure that what you have to say is something important, otherwise I'd have to kill you personally," he threatened, his glare turning fiercer than ever. Mess up with Uchiha Sasuke and he would be sure as hell that his glares would be enough to be the cause of your death.

"Gah, Teme, you're actually the one who gave Lazybones this amazing idea!" shouted Naruto, enough to make the students within one-kilometre radius wince.

"Tone down, Dobe," hissed Sasuke. He already had his hands balled into fists (ready to punch the lights out of his best friend) and his veins were almost visible along his neck and temple. "Your face is already enough annoyance to me. Don't add up your loud, _freaking_ voice in my already overflowing list of _annoying _annoyances."

The blond idiot merely rolled his eyes. "As I was saying, you were the one who gave Lazybones this freaking awesome idea!"

"How was I supposed to be the one who—"

"Ah, right!" interpolated Naruto before posing into a thinking stance, his index finger on his forehead. "He said something about a poem you saw and . . . . Yeah, that! We are mountain hiking through Mount Konoha until we reach the lake situated somewhere in there!"

If Sasuke were to share the truth, he thought it was not a bad idea at all. He could try to see if there, once they reached the lake, would be the person who wrote the poem he had seen. It was not that he was _excited_ to find the person; it was that he would like to see if that person even existed.

He did not want to acknowledge the reality that the poem and its poet might be able to change the course of his life.

Naruto sat down on the chair behind the desk of Sasuke's seatmate. "Anyway, Teme," he started, "did you know that I and Hinata-chan actually got together just yesterday? I mean, wasn't that awesome? BELIEVE I—"

"You shut up, Dobe, or I'll cut your tongue," Sasuke intervened followed by a light punch on the boy's cheek. "I never want to hear what you've done to that poor Hyuuga heiress to make her fall in love with you."

"Heh. Try me, you dumb ass." Naruto snorted before rolling his cerulean-coloured eyes. "What else? Let's see. Then there's this teacher who got kicked out of school 'cause he—"

_keeping an eye for your arrival with my fate._

Sasuke's thoughts wandered back to the poem. It was inscrutable—he was never this enthralled with a simple poem before. Every poem, he believed, comes with an underlying message. He wondered what message this short poem could possess.

"—then the student who committed suicide last month—"

_As my eyes watch the sun continue to set . . ._

By the time Sasuke came to that specific line, he was certain that the poet wrote the poem while watching the sunset. On the other hand, perhaps, for so many times he could think, there would be another clandestine implication.

"—then there's this dog that was seen—"

_I promise you my waiting will never ever end.  
><em>

The person the dedication was for was too lucky to be offered such a poem and—

"—then—"

"I said shut the _hell_ up or I'll cut your tongue," hissed Sasuke with a snarl. "_That_ or you'll shut up _and_ leave this classroom right away?"

—Sasuke did not understand why he even _wished_ it were dedicated for him. 

**»:«**

The vast mahogany door grated open, revealing the black-haired young Uchiha walking in.

"Okaerinasai, Sasuke-bocchama," said the house cleaners in unison who lined up to greet the young lad. They all bowed simultaneously to the young master and waited for his usual and dull response.

"Hn."

Before Sasuke could even take a step from the base of the stairs, his mother appeared from behind him, tackling him into a strangulating embrace. Uchiha Mikoto and Fugaku were not home for the past month, dealing with business matters that were of vast significance.

"Okaeri, Sasu-chaaan," greeted his beautiful mother, smiling up at him. The eighteen-year-old lad turned around and gave his mother a small smile.

"I must say the same, Okaasan," replied Sasuke. He wrapped a hesitating arm around his mother's shoulders and said, "Okaeri."

Mikoto merely smiled and hooked her arm around Sasuke's, accompanying him into walking up the stairs to his room.

"I notice you sound so stiff with me, my son," she noted, nodding her head to herself. "I want you to change that right away. I keep on telling you just that, but you never seem to do something about it."

His mother lightly punched Sasuke on the shoulder when he sighed in exasperation.

"Anyway, how was school? Do you have any girl who you can finally introduce to us? You're eighteen already, after all." Mikoto looked at her son with hope evident in her dark orbs. She squeezed her son's arm and waited expectantly. "Your brother doesn't bring any girl home and you do not, too. I'm now worried I might not have grandchildren in the end."

The lad shook his head (which shattered his mother's high hopes) and turned the doorknob of his room, entering with the beautiful woman. He placed his school bag on his bed and unbuttoned his gakuran. He knew the fact that his mother's eyes were following his every motion but did not care, minding his own business. Unexpectedly he stopped, pursing his lips.

The mother knew at once that Sasuke had something to say.

"Eh, what is it, Sasu-chan?" asked Mikoto. She approached her son and sat with him on his bed before motherly wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders. "Is there any problem? Tell me, I might be of help."

"Okaasan, this Saturday . . . ," started Sasuke, searching for the right words. "I can't go to the business meeting this Saturday after my classes. My friends invited me over for some mountain hiking."

Mikoto smiled in understanding. "And you want me to tell your father?"

Sasuke could just look at his mother silently. He had not seen his mother after a long month, but he would greet her home with a favour that would surely lead to facing his father's irritation about him unable to appear in their company's vital meeting. He was, after all, the chosen heir to the business after his brother had betrayed him and left him the troublesome job. Nevertheless, he did not loathe his brother at all.

"I'm wondering if . . . it's okay with you, okaasan," he stated. 'I know otousan is too much to handle when angered, so I guess . . . it will be fine with me even if you don't. I could always cancel—"

The dark-haired woman shook her head with a genuine smile. "No, no, go on and bond with your friends," she said, leaning her head to her son's shoulder. "I know you're just forced to accept the _order_ of Fugaku-kun. I honestly think that he has to loosen up a bit anyway."

"Hn, thanks, okaasan," said Sasuke. He gingerly unlatched his mother's arm from around his shoulder and stood up. "I shall be able to repay you soon."

Mikoto smiled. 'You don't have to, Sasuke,' she said, standing up as well. 'And Sasuke?'

Said young lad looked at his mother from over his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow and waited.

"In the next five days, I and your otousan will leave to the gasshuukoku to visit the comatose daughter of a family friend," explained Mikoto. "I do hope that you'll be good with Ita-kun, okay? I don't want to hear that you've engaged into another _playful_ (as you refer it with) and _physical_ fight with your brother. You're already eighteen and he's twenty-three and for Kami's sake, you're now adults."

Sasuke smirked even though his face almost contorted into a sheepish smile. "I don't think we can promise that, okaasan," he said before pecking on his mother's cheek and lightly pushing her out of his room.

"Sasuke-kun!" called Mikoto in a reprimanding tone once she was right outside the door. "We'll be gone for a whole month—"

"_Again_?" came Sasuke's voice from the other side of the closed door. There was a frown glued with the tone of his voice.

There was a sigh before Sasuke heard his mother's voice saying, "Yes, your otousan and I still have other appointments to attend to. So promise me that this house _will not_ be blown apart just because of your monstrous _jokey_ fights with your brother. I shall tell the same to Ita-kun."

Sasuke could only sigh as he pulled down his black sweatshirt.

**»:«**

"Ugh, why did it have to rain last night?" questioned Inuzuka Kiba as he strained not to slide upon the slippery slope. He got a grip over a nearby tree and pulled himself up, panting right after doing so. "And please remind me why we're here again?"

Naruto growled, also struggling not to slip.

"It's—itai!" he groaned, feeling his chin meet the muddy ground. Before he could ever slide completely down and down, he grasped a nearby object, which happened to be a sapling.

His weight was quite enough to uproot the small tree that he could guarantee his heart jumped up to his throat, knocking the breath out of him. The blond boy's eyes widened in horror when he saw that the soil holding the sapling eroded rather quickly.

"Would anyone help me from here?" he asked, his voice trembling. He looked around for his friends but they hardly even gave him attention. "Uh, guys?"

"Tch," muttered both Sasuke and Hyuuga Neji, turning their backs to their blond companion. They looked at each other upon knowing they had the same thoughts and looked away with an egotistical frown. Able to witness the exchange of looks between the two swollen-headed boys, Naruto rolled his eyes and convinced himself that the two were not free from personal vanity.

"Ooi! _Guys_! Help me up!" he cried again, when no one else looked over his shoulder to look at him.

"Silence, Naruto," drawled Shikamaru as he and the rest moved on, leaving Naruto struggling behind. "We're almost there. You're being troublesome, you know that?"

It was Saturday, the day the group decided to visit the lake of Konoha—a place only a few ever visit. Right at the base of the mountain of the same place was a huge mansion (although it was quite nothing compared to the Uchihas') —the only building in there—where they found a man who could help them with directions. The old man, who courteously aided them with the directions, assured them that within an hour of walking, they would reach the lake risk-free.

Kiba and Neji, who were at the front of the hiking group, shoved aside the low-slung branches and leaves of the trees hindering their ways. Sasuke, on the other hand, turned around to get to his best friend. He extended out a hand, which Naruto gratefully accepted.

"Annoying idiot, we're there," he said with a frown. When Naruto had finally stood up straight, he immediately pocketed the hand he had extended.

"Yeah, yeah," said Naruto, a slice of disdain apparent in his voice. "Thanks anywa—"

Naruto did not continue what he had to say.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, curious about Naruto's sudden silence. He looked back over his shoulder, but seeing only a few, turned his whole body around.

"ALL RIGHT!" yelled Kiba in victory. "Isn't this just what real beauty is? WE DID IT, YOU GUYS!"

One of the prettiest landscapes Sasuke had ever seen stood in front of him. The lake was clear and yet instead of being blue, it was green. Amber and golden and wine-red-coloured leaves were scattered everywhere, a sign of an early autumn. Floating on the wide lake were some of these leaves, floating like thousands of orange gondolas. The sunlight had reflected through the lake that it gave a very beautiful effect for the scene.

"Kami-sama!" cried Naruto. He ran towards Kiba and looked around, turning his whole body. He ran around the place and inhaled the cold breeze, taking in the beauty. "I SHOULD BRING HINATA-CHAN HERE SOMEDAY!"

At that, Sasuke watched Neji's face contort into a frown. "Just because you and my adoptive sister are together doesn't mean you can bring her here," threatened the Hyuuga. "Bring Hinata-sama here and I'll be sure as hell to bring you where you duly belong—in Hell."

Pouting, Naruto said, "Give Hinata-chan a chance to be a real human, you dumb ass."

Sasuke averted his attention from the two morons—as he referred them with—fighting. He looked at Kiba who was washing his hands with the cool water of the lake before he felt a hand on his right shoulder.

"Ever since you've read that poem, I know you've already wished then and there to visit this lake," said Shikamaru with a yawn. He withdrew his hands and placed them on his hips. "This is what friends are for, ne? Doing the most troublesome of things. What a drag, actually."

Sasuke smirked. "Yeah, a drag. Still, you and the rest did it. Yeah, thanks for this."

"Hmm."

Shikamaru yawned and sat down on the semi-wet meadow fescue. He leaned back with his arms propping him up from behind, and looked up to the sky, doing his favourite hobby of watching the clouds.

Sasuke looked back again at the lake. He did not know why but he was wondering if the writer of the poem he had seen was somewhere around. It was unfathomable—it was titillating. He wanted to know who wrote it—be it a girl or a boy. Sasuke even had the poem in one of the pockets of the backpack with him.

Then a thought broke into Sasuke's head.

_I'd lie myself among the field of pretty anemones,  
>and please come to me and kiss my face.<br>_

Field of pretty anemones, eh? thought Sasuke.

Silently, he walked away from his group of friends and roamed around the meadow. He hesitated at first—but nevertheless did—and entered a forest-like part of the place. It was dark and full with trees that it was almost scary.

He stepped on twigs after twigs and, through the silence, an echo of _clicks_ reverberated. Sasuke halted from walking amidst the many trees and tentatively thought of continuing. He surely wanted to know who the writer of the poem was and for whom he or she dedicated it to, but like a real human, he had emotions dwelling in the base of his heart.

Sasuke could be scared as well. But not too scared as his feet found the will to continue walking.

Finally, after a long, dark way, he found streaks of light at the end, which gradually widened as he neared it. Wincing from the sudden change of surrounding, he stepped out from the dark, and a number of Japanese anemones lying around the area greeted him.

It was impossible and unbelievable. No anemones were supposed to be present at the time of the year.

But right in front of his eyes were the impossible. Moreover, there, amongst the bed of anemones, stood a girl with long _pink_ hair flowing with the breeze, looking up at the sky. She had a powder blue _sundress_ with her that reached just right below the knees, her hands clasped at her back. As though there was magic, an end of a rainbow was right by the girl, somehow illuminating her. The colourful je ne sais quoi of the arc had dissolved upon reaching what seemed to be the middle and continued again from the other side.

"Ooi, you, over there," called Sasuke to catch the girl's attention. He pocketed his hands in his pants and continued, "Aren't you cold by what you're wearing? Summer's way over."

When the pink-haired girl turned around to face him, only one word echoed through his mind.

_Tenshi_.

**. . . to be continued**

_**I wrote your name in the sand, but the tide washed it away.  
>I wrote your name in the sky, but the wind blew it away.<br>I wrote your name in my heart, and I wonder why it did stay.**_

**.romaji.**

_bocchama _- a son of a wealthy person

_dobe _- dead-last

_gakuen _- academy, campus

_gakuran _- part of a boy's school uniform, jacket in a school uniform

_gasshuukoku _- United States of America, federal state

_hiragana _- the cursive syllabary in Japanese writing

_itai _- ouch, painful, it hurts

_kanji _- Japanese writing system that uses pictorial characters based from Chinese ideograms

_katakana _- characters used for transliterating non-Japanese words

_konoha _- leaves of a tree

_okaasan _- mother

_okaerinasai / okaeri _- welcome home

_ooi _- hey

_otousan _- father

_sensei _- teacher, master, doctor

_teme _- bastard

_tenshi _- angel

**author's note: **_Eeep! :) Please share me your thoughts. _**  
>authored by <strong>finish line


	2. the strangers

**authored by **finish line

**eighth wonder of his world**

**»:«**

**chapter 2. the strangers**

"You—you're wearing a sundress," continued Sasuke, ignoring the only word that ran through his mind. "Don't you think you might catch cold or something?"

The pink-haired girl did not move. Instead, her eyes merely widened in what Sasuke could see as mixed shock, confusion, and fear. She was still; too still she seemed like a corpse standing up with eyes widely opened.

Sasuke sighed, deciding to repeat what he had said. "Are you deaf or what?" he questioned, now folding his arms and approaching the girl, but stopped a good few metres away from her. "I said you might catch cold with what you're wearing. Don't you have thicker clothing with you?"

The girl only stepped back, eyes still wide.

"Are you mute? Why don't you reply or something?" asked Sasuke. He was, apparently, running out of patience.

"Go away," the girl said. Her voice was fierce but Sasuke could still hear traces of softness. "Nobody's supposed to be here."

Sasuke frowned. "Then care to explain what a petite-looking girl like you is doing here?"

The girl opened her mouth but closed it again, frowning. What annoyed Sasuke the next moment was the fact that the girl turned her back to him and started to walk away. No one ever walked away or even turned their backs to him.

"Are you living somewhere around here?" he semi-shouted as the girl slowly extended the distance from him.

No reply ever came back to him. The girl with pink hair reaching a few inches below the shoulders merely kept on walking, perfectly ignoring the rest of his presence. Sasuke's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he, too, turned his back to the girl.

He was insane to even think that the person he was looking for was anywhere around there. Then it hit him. His eyes shot widely opened—thinking, _thinking_ of a certain possibility—as he spun around on his heels again.

"Do you—"

But the girl wasn't in sight any longer.

How stupid of Sasuke to immediately lose his patience. He did not even get the chance to ask that girl if she was the one who wrote the poem. Everything was possible. After all, the poet was waiting for a certain _someone_ to come to her in the specific place he was laying foot on.

**»:«**

"Teme!" a loud voice called as Uchiha Sasuke walked silently by the sidewalk like the other normal students did.

The tall lad ignored the blond with a frown, sighing as he heard his loathsome nickname being called for the second time. He halted from walking, massaged his temples, and turned around only to be met by the blond's awkward one-armed hug.

He scowled while Naruto grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Hinata-chan came over our house yesterday evening for dinner!" yelled Naruto, as though he was an overly-excited kid. "Okaasan invited her over for meal, you know."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, pulling away from Naruto's one-armed hug. "Dobe, you came just to tell me that?" he questioned. He shook his head and resumed his walk. "How inconvenient. You transferred to me your disgusting germs through that arm of yours just because you're going to tell me how you acted like a little girl—no, Barbie doll—in front of your timid girlfriend."

Naruto gawked at his best friend and staggered to follow. "What gave you that freaking idea?" he demanded. "I'm telling you 'cause you're my best friend, duh. And I'm happy about my dinner with Hina-chan, believe it!"

". . ." Sasuke didn't speak anymore as he considered Naruto's words. He _was_ the blond's best friend. That made him smirk.

"What happened to you last Saturday, by the way?" asked Naruto, changing the topic. They turned to the left and entered the gates of Konoha Gakuen, sighing and rolling their eyes upon girls who squealed their names. "You were gone for some time. Shikamaru said he just saw you leave. Then poof, within few minutes, you were back. What did you do?"

"Nosy as ever," muttered the dark-haired boy. "I just walked around. That's all."

Naruto narrowed his eyes to the ground. "That's a lie," he said. He looked over to his best friend again. "Really. Tell me the truth. Where have you gone for that short moment? Fifteen minutes of being gone around the forest was something quite . . . worrisome, you know."

There were a few moments of silence.

"I met—no, I didn't really meet her—I saw a girl in the woods amidst a field of Japanese anemones," replied Sasuke after contemplating whether to tell the blond or not.

"You were hitting on a girl?" Naruto exclaimed, stopping in his tracks right before the main doors of the seniors' building.

People around them stopped and looked at them with eyebrows raised in surprise.

Naruto ended up being bonked on the head by the handsome boy he deemed as his best friend. He even caught the words, "Annoying, _annoying_. Shouldn't have told him. Shouldn't have but still _did_. _Kuso_. Annoying words of wisdom from him."

But something was wrong, thought Naruto, watching the back of his retreating dark-haired friend.

Anemones don't bloom in autumn.

**»:«**

It took Sasuke another week after their hiking to once again walk up the mountain towards Konoha's lake. His father was infuriated by his nonappearance on their company's meeting yet again (he was certain about that), but he still did not heed it. Like what his mother told him the night before . . .

. . . He _should_ enjoy his life.

"_Sasuke-kun, enjoy your life," said Mikoto while arranging the photo frames atop one of the many coffee tables. She turned around to look at his son who was sitting on one of the couches, watching as she worked on the frames. "You're still young. Don't let your father's wishes take over you, and just do whatever you want in your life. Always remember that."_

Sasuke brought with him an English reading book entitled '_The Book Thief_' by Markus Zusak, two cans of Coke, a pack of potato chips, and extra clothes all stuffed in the backpack he brought with him.

He used his bicycle to go to a specific place in the base of the mountain of Konoha where the entrance towards the way to the lake started. Sasuke looked over at the mansion right by the entrance to the way, and stopped right in front of its sidewalk where a man in his late sixties was watering the low hedge that leaned against the walls of the mansion's border.

Biting his lower lip, he got off his bicycle and approached the busy man.

"Excuse me, ojiisan, I think I need a tad of help," asseverated Sasuke once he was a few feet away from the man.

The old man turned around, turning off his garden hose to hinder the water from pouring out. He smiled at Sasuke and asked, "How may I be of help, young man?"

Sasuke hesitated at first then looked up at the towering and huge mansion in front of him. Brows furrowed, he turned back to the man. "I was wondering who owns that mansion, ojiisan," said Sasuke.

In Konoha, the Uchihas were to be considered as the most prominent clan. The mansion he was giving his attention then might be his family's—he wasn't just informed that they owned another manor in the outskirts of the area. He would have appreciated staying in that place.

"Ah, it is owned by the Haruno family," said the old man with a small smile. "They're currently in another place for some reason that I don't understand. I am the caretaker together with my wife, by the way."

Sasuke turned his attention back to the house. He thought it was theirs, but he was mistaken. He did not know that there were richer families other than the Uchihas.

"Quite a beautiful home, isn't it?" noted the old man while staring up at the intricately designed manor. "The family left . . . perhaps . . . because of an accident that happened a month ago. That's what I theorised."

"Accident?" queried Sasuke, angling his head to the side.

The man's face was then etched with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, I was ordered not to tell any stranger about it. The family didn't tell me anything other than they're leaving." The man paused and ogled the Uchiha. "Are you going to the lake?"

"Hai. I think I'm supposed to go now. Thanks for the information, ojiisan."

"Douitashimashite, wakamono-san," responded the senior citizen before resuming his job. He paused for a while, smiled at the young man, and said, "Careful, the road is still a bit slippery."

Sasuke nodded. "Hai."

**»:«**

"Do you really intend to get yourself a common cold?"

A pink-haired head snapped up and turned to look as Sasuke walked through the low-hanging branches. Her eyes widened once again in what Sasuke could swear as frustration. He almost let out a sound akin to "Hah!" at the girl's expression, but shook his head against it.

"Why don't you wear a thicker clothing?" questioned Sasuke as he advanced towards the glowering girl and filled the space beside her amidst the field of flowers. He thought it ironic enough that he asked a nearly same question a week ago. He settled his backpack in between them and stared at her. "That dress of yours is starting to get annoying. Or are you just too poor to even buy other dresses? Or maybe you ran out of other clothes and decided to wear it again—your favourite?"

The girl narrowed her green eyes at him (they were green. Very green, green, green.) and looked away, giving off the impression that she did not care if someone was with her.

"I hate talking, you know," murmured Sasuke, leaning back with his hands propping him up from the back. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. "This place is refreshing, though."

The roseate-headed girl looked at him again. "Go away. This place isn't for you."

"Are you saying that it's yours?" shot Sasuke back. He cracked an eye open and looked at her sideways. "I don't think anyone owns this place. It's merely an inhabited area where anyone can go as he pleases."

". . ." The girl did not reply any longer.

No words were exchanged by the two for the next two hours. Sasuke read about nine chapters from the book he brought with him, ate the potato chips, and urged the girl with him to get a few—but the girl declined. She even refused the offered can of coke Sasuke decided to share. She was a weird girl, in Sasuke's opinion.

And for those two hours, despite the girl's apparent loathing in the man's presence beside her, she did not leave.

And for those two whole hours, Sasuke was occasionally observing her, his eyes trailing down to her lips—which reminded him of something rather intriguing.

"_I'd lie myself among the field of pretty anemones, and please come to me and kiss my face_," he accidentally said out loud as he remembered the two lines.

The girl wearing the sundress looked at him in shock, eyes widening millimetre by millimetre in each second that ticked by right after he said those.

"Where did you get that? From where did you get those lines?" demanded the girl. She stood up from her sitting position beside Sasuke and faced him, a glare present in her eyes. "Where in _hell_ did you get that?"

Sasuke was quite certain that the girl was piqued. "I've read it—"

"_Where_?" insisted the girl, her shoulders shaking in slight fury.

Sasuke glared at the girl. "Why do you care? Were you the one who wrote it?"

To Sasuke's surprise, the girl got his bag and threw all its contents away, trying to delve in it for something he thought she deemed important. Furious, Sasuke grabbed his bag from the pink-haired girl.

"What the fuck were you doing?" exclaimed Sasuke. The girl had no single right to simply get his bag without his permission. "This is my possession and you have not the slightest right to ever lay a finger on it! And if you are looking for that freaking piece of paper, it's not with me. I've left it at home."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched when the girl's shoulder slumped, disappointment evident in her eyes.

"If this will make you feel better, I memorise every single line of it," he added, trying to lighten up the sadness in the girl's eyes. Then he thought of something. "I won't tell you, though, if you don't tell me what your _name_ is."

The pink-headed lass glared at him. He glowered back and the two of them exchanged furious gazes for a whole minute before Sasuke cut the contact off and sighed.

"In the splendour of Konoha's Lake I'd wait, keeping an eye for your arrival with my fate," recited Sasuke, looking down on his lap. He had his hands balled into fists before he sighed and continued. "I'd lie myself among the bed of pretty anemones, and please come to me and kiss my face."

Sasuke didn't notice how the girl's glaring eyes slowly turned stunned and amazed—it widened considerably.

"As my eyes watch the sun continue to set," Sasuke's voice whispered, "I promise you my waiting will never ever end."

To Sasuke's amazement, the girl's eyes produced tears, her shoulders shaking.

Panicked, he started, "Wha—?"

"I've waited!" the girl yelled. Fringes of pink hair fell off into her face as she hunched her back further. "I've waited and waited _and_ waited and yet he isn't here! I'm tired . . . I'm so tired of waiting. Why can't he just come here, get me, and kiss me to be with _him_?"

The eighteen-year-old black-haired lad stared at the pink-haired girl, perplexed. "Who . . . who are you waiting for?"

The girl furiously looked at him through tear-streamed face. "_He_ didn't come! He's driving me insane and yet he doesn't come! Why can't he just take me—"

"Calm down," said Sasuke, pulling the girl down to sit beside him. The girl submissively let him pull her down. "Calm down and tell me who you're waiting for. I might help you."

"I _am_ waiting for the _he_ who didn't even come," said the lass' soft and equally tired voice. A few minutes later, she was calm. "Where . . . where did you get that stanza?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Seen it written on a piece of paper." He paused for a while, before saying, "You know, you're not waiting at all."

The girl looked at him curiously.

"If you're that desperate and impatient and yet do not do anything about it, then you're not waiting at all," continued Sasuke. "Waiting takes a lot of patience, and if you want something to happen so badly, you'll take action. You'll not simply sit there and hang around, hoping he comes to you."

The girl was watching him and he did the same to her. Her eyes were dancing with amusement, if his eyes did not fail him.

Later, his eyes widened. Quickly, he took a glance at the time from his wrist watch. "Kuso! I'm late for the group's practise."

The lass with him looked at him with slight wonder, her head cocked to the side. It gave him the hint that she did not get what he was talking about.

The two hours he had with the girl was already over.

"I'm a basketball player in our school's team," he stated as he stood up and gathered his things. "We'd practise for the finals this upcoming week."

There was silence as he tried to weigh down his words. "Want to hang out?" he finally asked.

Sasuke could not believe he would ask such a thing to a person he hardly knew. And the person was coincidentally his current animosity—a girl—who, by the way, he still did not know the name.

Talking to strangers was a primary knowledge taught to him as he came from a well-off family, yet he found himself bending what was usual.

"Hang out?" the girl reiterated, her face confused. Sasuke opened his mouth to reply but she spoke again, "I'm sorry. I don't go anywhere with a stranger."

Sasuke blinked. That _was_ the point. He did not know the name of the girl. Had they known each others' name, they would not be that much of a stranger to each other any longer.

"Then tell me your name first," said Sasuke. He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder while he did not avert his gaze from the girl. "I was asking you earlier yet you wouldn't say it."

The pink-haired girl tilted her head sideways, evidently incredulous, as her mouth hung like a fish. Finally, she closed it and opened it once again to say, "What?"

The tall young man shrugged one shoulder and said, "You said you don't go anywhere with a stranger. Don't you think it's about time we cut the strangeness away and introduce ourselves?"

Sasuke took note of the scepticism lingering in the girl's eyes. He could not blame her for being doubtful, however. It was not always you get to find a random guy invading your personal space for a while then suddenly would ask you for your name. On his part, on the other hand, it was not everyday you see a girl with pink hair who would wear showy sundress on a cold autumn day.

She was weird, _really_ weird—it was an inevitable conclusion for him.

The girl did not reply and they merely stared at each other for a long while. Finally, Sasuke sighed.

"Hn. All right. But don't you want me to at least walk you home? It's already four in the afternoon and . . . are you sure—"

The lass shook her head. "Thank you, but please _don't_."

Sasuke blinked. He took it that the girl's parents were strict enough to rather have their daughter walk home alone than walk home with a random stranger—let alone, a guy.

"OK, do it your way."

Sasuke spun around and started walking, his backpack hanging on one of his shoulders. Before he could get any further away, the girl's voice halted him.

"Sakura."

He looked at her over his shoulder, bewilderment written in his face. Did the girl just mention a flower?

"I . . . I beg your pardon?"

The pink-haired lass pursed her lips before letting a small smile pull up at the corners of her lips. Sasuke felt his breath hitch at his throat upon the small smile.

"My name is Sakura," said the girl, a sheepish look now painted on her face. "I _am_ Sakura."

Sasuke's eyes widened by a millimetre and he smirked, turning his back on her. So that was her name.

As he walked away, he waved his right hand slightly saying, "Sasuke. I am Uchiha Sasuke."

He swore he heard her whisper his name twice.

**. . . to be continued**

_**Love is a contradiction. It is hard to find but easy to lose.  
>It makes you feel good but hurts you bad.<br>It opens your eyes but makes you blind.  
>If fills up your heart then tears it apart.<strong>_

**.romaji.**

_douitashimashite _- you are welcome, don't mention it

_kuso _- shit, damn

_ojiisan _– grandfather

_wakamono _- young man, youth, lad

**author's note **_Whoa! I personally like the encounter between Sasuke and Sakura here, haha. :) At any rate, I hope I did just fine. I was really overwhelmed by the continuous flow of alerts and favourites; I was glad for the reviews as well! :D Thank you for taking your time reading this. I am looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts.  
><em>**author's thanks to the following reviewers** aris-chan, Alice-hime of the moon, minniemousemom, Laurie-Estelle, ImaFREAK, oXCherryXo, themistressofsasuke, little miss flutterfly**  
>authored by <strong>finish line


	3. the siesta

**authored by **finish line

**eighth wonder of his world**

**»:«**

**chapter 3. the siesta**

Water splashed unto the gymnasium's floor as Sasuke poured water on his head. He shook his head and reached out for a towel to dry his face. He blinked for a few seconds before extending his arms backwards to reach for another jug of water. However, he was not able to take a grasp of it as someone spoke.

"You're still not answering me," said a girl's voice a few seats up the bleachers.

Sasuke fought hard the urge to roll his eyes. The girl was incessantly whining for the past hour in their practise, complaining for his lack of answers to questions he did not even dare acknowledge. Naruto could only give him a careless shrug while Kiba sympathetically would look his way every time the girl spoke.

"Karin, shut _up_," said Sasuke, sighing. He looked up at the redheaded girl who sported black-rimmed glasses and glared. "Why do you keep insisting answers to questions I don't even want to recognise?"

There were a few—obviously fake—coughs from his friends and teammates who were already fixing their apparels down to their sports bags. Other few openly mocked the delirious girl while the rest could only watch Sasuke's bashing.

"That's because I'm your girlfriend and I have every right to know where you go on your spare time! Also, right after classes earlier, I didn't get to see you," defended Karin. The coughing from most of the members of the Konoha Gakuen Basketball Team evidently grew louder by the minute. Karin silenced them by glaring with her callous red eyes.

Sasuke's glare turned sharper and fiercer. "Excuse _me_?"

"You may be excused, Sasuke-_kun_," mocked Naruto. When Karin voiced out a "Hey!" he said in sarcasm, "You're _so_ modest, you know that?"

Karin narrowed her eyes. "I know, Bakamono!" She turned her attention back to Sasuke and pouted not-so-cutely. "Tell your lousy teammates to show some respect to your girlfriend, Sasuke-kun! Look at them, they're teasing me."

"Tell yourself, then, to shut the hell up and respect _my_ team, and inject in that head of yours that I don't have a girlfriend who goes by the name of Karin," Sasuke supplied as he stood up with his backpack hanging on one shoulder and sports bag on the other. "And how many times should I ask Suigetsu to get in that apparently thick head of yours not to disturb my team as we practise?"

"Touché," mumbled Shikamaru, while Neji gave way for a small smirk.

"Wow, buchou actually mentioned my handsome name!" cried a tall lad with periwinkle-coloured head. He winked over at Karin, who, then, was incredulous. "Yo, ikeike, I can be your date for the Winter Ball!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow while Naruto and the others headed towards the exit. Winter Ball would not come until about two or so months later.

"Baka! You have no right to call me that, kusotare!" exclaimed Karin. She huffed and puffed, before turning her attention back to Sasuke. Sasuke mildly wondered why he had not yet left right then and there. "Now that you mentioned it, Sasuke-kun's gonna be my date, right?"

Kiba and Naruto, who, along with the others, were already by the doors, seemed to have heard of Karin's declaration. They gave each other an amused look before laughing so hard they had to pat each other's back.

Hozuki Suigetsu guffawed before pointing at the redhead. "You're delirious! Hah!" He shifted his gaze to Sasuke. "Yo, buchou, she seems to have the need to go to a psychiatrist soon! You have no interest in girls anyway."

"I take offence at that!" the girl cried, jumping off from the bleachers and running towards Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, he also offended your manliness!"

If Sasuke were to voice out his opinion, he was, in fact, offended. It seemed to him that they saw him as emotionally-retarded in some few ways. Perhaps that was the reason why Sasuke found himself unconsciously _insisting_ he was straight.

"I already have a date." Sasuke shrugged before walking his way to his stilled friends, who were still standing by the exits, and, by then, were gaping at him like fish. He walked past Suigetsu and paused. "And she's the perfect epitome of a sakura."

Everyone in the gymnasium stared at Sasuke's walking figure, silent. Even Karin was rendered speechless. Uchiha Sasuke had just come close to _complimenting_ a girl who they did not know.

"Better luck next time, ikeike!" Suigetsu found himself saying, before catching up with the team captain.

The last the group heard from Karin was an annoyed scream and loud stomping of the feet.

Naruto patted Sasuke in a congratulatory stance and said, "Wow, that's one of the best things you've ever done, Teme. Just _wow_. Heavy bashing of ego back there."

Neji, despite being usually annoyed at Naruto and who was walking in front along with Shikamaru, found himself silently agreeing.

**»:«**

"YOU WEREN'T JOKING?" exclaimed Naruto, earning the group of five irritated glances from the other customers.

Sasuke's group—consisted primarily of himself, Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, and Kiba—decided to go over McDonald's to spend the rest of the afternoon. The sun was setting, but that did not hinder them from continuing on with their plans.

It was not that Sasuke was not joking. In fact, the lad was, in some ways, lying. However, there was a small part in him that thought of _actually_ asking Sakura to be his date on the Winter Ball Konoha Gakuen would be holding.

Neji bonked Naruto's head. "Silence, ahou."

Naruto was sceptical. He slammed his hands on top of the table they were using, and the beverages and snacks visibly vibrated upon the impact. "Butbutbut—I can't believe it, you really have a date?" he asked, directing the question towards Sasuke.

"Who's the girl?" came Kiba's expectant question. "Do we know her? Is she sizzling hot, like, you know, _hot_? Is she really pretty?"

"Does she watch the clouds?"

Sasuke's eyes trailed onto Shikamaru's lazy figure and sighed. Even the loafer in the group was interested enough to know who he was referring to as his date.

He had to be honest with himself. He had been hasty that moment he said he had a date, and even more _stupidly_ reckless when he complimented Sakura. Sasuke failed to stop himself—after all, Sakura was the first girl in his life who had sprouted in him an interest he never found in any other girls.

Sakura was unique. He could say so even though the fact remained that he did not really know anything about her.

Sasuke finally sighed, and he watched as his friends expectantly looked at him.

"You don't know her so it does not really matter," said Sasuke, shrugging.

"It does _not_ matter?" Naruto repeated, incredulous. He sipped on his drink through the straw and continued, "Damn it, Sasuke-teme, it _does_ matter! You practically _praised_ the girl back there. She has got to be one pretty girl!"

"Moi agrees," said Kiba. He lazily raised his hand while biting on to his hamburger. "Your declaration of your date for a ball more than two months away nearly gave me a heart attack, you know."

Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes. "You don't know her at all, that's why it would be rather pointless for me to tell something about her."

Neji shrugged. "Just say something to satiate the curiosity of these two morons," he suggested. He gave Sasuke a sideway glance. "It is rather interesting to think that someone finally caught your interest, one way or another."

"Fine," said Sasuke with a sigh. He shook his head. His friends really were incessant imbeciles. He smirked at the thought. "She has pink hair and green eyes."

The four boys besides Sasuke blinked at the dark-haired boy and exchanged looks. Suddenly, they burst out laughing, save for both Neji and Shikamaru who ought to chuckle.

"_Pink_ hair?" repeated Kiba, laughing. "Kami-sama, I never thought there would come a day when Uchiha Sasuke says the word 'pink' without stuttering!"

Naruto patted their table really hard. "Teme, are you sure you weren't colourblind the time you met her?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes for the nth time that day. "And here I thought you wanted to know something about her," he mumbled. His group of friends really was _something_.

"Yeah, Uchiha, but we never expected _you, _of all people, to say the word pink," said Neji, shaking his head. "In spite of everything, I never can imagine someone with pink hair."

"It drives me insane imagining both you and Neji with your hairs pink," mumbled Shikamaru, scratching the back of his head. "Neji would look like a girl, I see, and you would look _simply _stupid."

Sasuke shook his head and was about to say something when Naruto intervened.

"But I seem to have seen someone with pink hair before . . . ."

Shikamaru blinked. "Troublesome—I think I had, too," he grumbled, taking one of his French fries. "I just can't recall where."

"What else can you say about her, Sasuke?" urged Kiba, ignoring Naruto's and Shikamaru's earlier comments.

Sasuke appeared to contemplate. "She's relatively pretty"—the four gave him amused stares—"and . . . she's a poet."

The fries Shikamaru was about to take stopped in midair before his mouth. His black eyes flickered up to Sasuke, who was staring at him knowingly. His eyes narrowed.

"You mean . . . ?"

"I found her," said Sasuke, shrugging one shoulder. He bit on his hamburger.

"Eh? Eh? I think I'm lost," said Naruto, staring back and forth between Sasuke and Shikamaru.

Sasuke watched as Shikamaru glared at the fries in between his fingers. The genius seemed to be deep in thought after the revelation. Sasuke did not know why, but he had a feeling that something was eerily wrong. The mere look on Shikamaru's face said it all.

The other three were discussing something about their upcoming basketball game when Sasuke asked Shikamaru, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Shikamaru slowly shook his head. "What a drag," he mumbled. He continued, "It's just that I think I already know who you're talking about." He propped his head up with his hand and continued, staring deeply into Sasuke's eyes, "Do you mind having us meet this girl?"

**»:«**

The next day was a sunny Sunday. It had not rained the night before, and Sasuke found it a perfect day to walk up the mountain again.

Sasuke hurried down the stairs with his backpack hanging loosely on one of his shoulders, and a new hard-bound book he had recently bought in his one hand. He vaguely caught sight of his five-year older brother by the end of the stairs.

Uchiha Itachi's arms were folded across his chest, a daring look daubed on his face. "And where, foolish little brother, do you think are you going?" he questioned. His right index finger was tapping on his left upper arm. "Looks to me like you're about to _miss_ something."

Sasuke almost groaned at his brother.

"Out," nevertheless, was Sasuke's mere reply.

"In case you have forgotten, we have nunchaku practises to attend to that you might miss if you decide to go on your way," reminded Itachi. His figure relaxed as he brought his hands into his pants' pockets. "Unless you have a date you wish to grace with your presence, otouto?"

"Screw nunchaku practises," said Sasuke, brushing past his brother.

Sasuke did not particularly abhor nunchaku. In fact, it was one of his favourite pastimes, aside from playing basketball and sometimes trying motocross. He was an adventurous young man who appreciated every bit of action, but that time, he could not wish more than to take an absence to his and Itachi's nunchaku practise and head immediately to where Sakura was.

When he was already near the huge entrance door to their mansion, Itachi called out, "Should I tell Otousan about your absence? Or should you attend?"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. Almost comically, he looked at his brother over his shoulders. His eyes narrowed even further.

"You wouldn't dare," he told his older brother. If his father found out he missed even just one class, it would be the end of him. It was Uchiha Fugaku who insisted they both take the Sunday class.

The older of the two smiled and cocked his head. "Of course I dare! You know very well the purposes of older siblings—to annoy the hell out of the younger siblings. So yes, I dare."

Sasuke, knowing he could do nothing more once an argument sprout between him and his brother, groaned before walking back upstairs to his room.

"Very good, foolish little brother," said Itachi following his brother. "I thought this trivial thing would still lead to us breaking the house down. Saa, okaasan would kill us if so."

For once in his life, Sasuke _really_ hated his nunchaku classes.

**»:«**

It was already around two when Sasuke found his self back at the bottom of the mountain of Konoha. Right in the overlooking garden of the Haruno mansion was the old man he had talked to the day before, doing his usual job of watering the plants—it seemed to Sasuke that the old man enjoyed gardening in the afternoon.

Sasuke had kindly asked of the old man—who, he later found out, was named Himeno Sato—to look after the bicycle he used to head to the place.

It took the boy another one hour to walk himself up to the place where the lake was situated. After a few more manoeuvring around the place, he found the sole area where he expected to find the girl he had been thinking of for the past few hours.

There, sitting under one huge tree was Sakura. She appeared to have sensed his presence since she coincidentally looked his way the moment he did so.

She was wearing a yellow sundress with see-through purple shawl hugging her shoulders.

"How many sundresses do you have?" asked Sasuke while walking his way towards her. "Although . . . it's good to know that you thought of actually wearing a shawl this time."

Sakura merely shrugged. However, she scooted over to let him sit on the spot beside her. It surprised Sasuke that she was willing enough to let him sit beside her.

"I brought it, by the way," said Sasuke, striking up a conversation. He set his bag down on the ground beside him as well as his book, _The Book Thief_. He had had no idea he hadn't gotten the new book he was supposed to bring with him due to his hurry.

"What is?" asked Sakura.

Sasuke shrugged. "The poem you wrote," he said. He fished his pants' pockets for the note. "Here it is."

Sakura reached out for the small piece of paper and stared at her curvy calligraphy. Blinking, she straightened it and read her work in silence. While she was doing so, Sasuke watched her, observing how her green eyes slowly glimmered with unshed tears.

"You know what, Uchiha-san, I was naive before to ever think that there's nothing wrong with waiting," the pink-haired girl whispered. Sasuke remained listening. "Then I found out . . . Kami, it's so difficult—it hurts so badly."

Sasuke unconsciously gulped. When he was young, he was taught not to ever make a girl cry—any girl. He took it that it was the reason why his heart seemed to constrict the moment one single tear fell off from her eyes, even though he hardly was at fault.

"O—Ooi, don't start now," he ordered, slightly panicky. "I don't want to be the reason why a girl like you is crying right now, for the third time of our meeting."

A small smile graced Sakura's lips as she wiped the lone streak of tear on her cheeks. She inhaled and exhaled heavily, before her eyes crinkled into a crescent. She cocked her head to the side and said, "Ne, Uchiha-san, I'm sorry I had to be detached on our previous meetings. I was just . . . I was just overwhelmed by waiting, you see. It has been a month and yet—and yet he . . . he didn't—"

"Ooi, stop calling me that," Sasuke intervened, leaning on the thick tree trunk. He looked at her sideways and shrugged a shoulder. "It's rather unnerving when someone refers to me in that kind of way. I feel like he or she is calling my aniki instead of me."

Sakura blinked and gave a sheepish smile. "Ah, sorry about that. I was raised to be rather formal. May I call you Sasuke-kun, then?"

"You came from a rich family?" asked Sasuke after nodding his head.

It was customary in Japan to refer to new people with the family name and the honorific '-san', but sometimes, children from wealthy families were taught earlier to be even more formal, even going to the point of bowing even though it was not necessary at all.

Sakura merely shrugged before her eyes fell onto the book Sasuke set in between them, sitting on the grassy ground.

"You love reading books," Sakura pointed out.

"Ee," answered Sasuke, looking up at the canopy of leaves above. Lights akin to big stars danced above them both. "I have read more than hundreds of books, but that book has got to be the best so far. Talks about life during the second world war in Germany—talks about Death and his job."

Sasuke turned to Sakura curiously when she stiffened upon the last statement.

"What's the lesson that you learned, Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura. "You cannot say a book is good if you don't know what its real point is."

There was a short pause before Sasuke answered, "There are people who wishes Death could just come up to them and gather them in his arms but in the end, they weren't given the chance to be heaved immediately by him. They had to wait. It isn't because Death didn't heed them. It isn't because Death is busy with other people who really are supposed to die, either."

Curiously, Sakura asked, "Then why?"

"Because even Death can have a heart," replied Sasuke, staring at Sakura's mossy green eyes. "That's what I learned from that book—even Death knows _how_ to have a heart."

"Was the lesson you learned special to you in any ways? You seem to take your statements rather . . . seriously."

It took Sasuke several seconds before he answered. His eyes were closed. "Yeah . . . ," he finally said. "Somehow, it marked something in me, that's why the book topped my favourites."

"Why?"

A small smirk curved the corner of Sasuke's lips as he cracked an eye open. He stared at her for a short while before he closed his eyes again. Damn, his muscles were too tired from his nunchaku practise two hours ago. His eyes were getting droopy. Inwardly, Sasuke cursed.

"Did you know that . . . I was suicidal two years ago?" he said, nevertheless.

Sakura appeared to be taken aback.

Sasuke admitted that it was true that he looked dark and overly emotional, but it would never occur to anyone that he could have been suicidal before.

"You are?" Sasuke heard Sakura voice out. He really was getting sleepy. He could not even nod his head. She called him out, "Sasuke-kun? Ooi, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke surprised her by having his head lean on her covered shoulder.

He had fallen asleep.

**. . . to be continued**

_**Why do people love despite the pains, the tears, and the heartbreaks?  
>It's because pains make them stronger.<br>Tears make them braver.  
>And heartbreaks?<br>Heartbreaks make them wiser.**_

**.romaji.**

_ahou _- idiot

_aniki _- older brother

_baka _- idiot

_bakamono _- idiotic person

_buchou _- captain

_ee _- yes

_ikeike _- bitch

_kami / kami-sama _- god

_kusotare_ - asshole

_nunchaku _- martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks joined at their ends by a rawhide band, rope, or chain

_otouto _- younger brother

_saa_ - you see

**author's note **_Nyah! I do well hope that I didn't do any grammatical errors in there. I hate it when I miss some trivial things such as that. At any rate, thank you very much for all the reviews, alerts, favourites, and -gasp- C2s. They made me extra happy! xD_

_I have a question, though. What do you call the martial arts itself that makes use of nunchaku/nunchucks as the main weapons? It felt strangely peculiar having to say "nunchaku practise". Meh._

_I would love to hear from you!_**  
>author's thanks to the following reviewers <strong>Alice-hime of the moon, maidsama4real, minniemousemom, aris-chan, Laurie-Estelle, ulq4schiffer, tayuya0044, ibelyim, Miss Minaj, little miss flutterfly, cherry**  
>authored by <strong>finish line


	4. the suicide attempt

**authored by **finish line

**eighth wonder of his world**

**»:«**

**chapter 4. the suicide attempt**

Sasuke was taken aback when he regained consciousness of his surroundings. He had had no idea his body had finally given up and he had fallen asleep, and yet again had wasted another set of hours he could have used to know more about the new girl.

What really took Sasuke by surprise was the fact that he found himself lying on the lap of the certain girl he wanted to get to know more. When he opened his eyes, long strands of hair fell off and tickled the skin of his forehead, and soft, smooth hand was touching his, and his face was barely a foot away from Sakura's.

Based on his observation, Sakura was a really pale girl. Her alabaster of a skin was smooth on her face, and there was a slight pink daubing her cheeks. Sakura's lips were pinkish red, and her eyelashes were captivatingly long.

For once in his life, Uchiha Sasuke found himself observing a girl he hardly knew—something he never did to girls who were present in his everyday life. He thought Sakura was different and worth the attention, and he never thought such kind of things to any other person.

Sakura was pretty, even if Sasuke denied the idea to himself. She was an enigma yet to be cracked, a flower yet to bloom. He unconsciously reached his hand out to touch her cheek when heavy eyelids fluttered upwards, revealing sleepy, verdant orbs staring back at him.

A blush evenly spread across the girl's cheeks as she gasped. Before she could lean away, Sasuke decided to sit up hastily, involuntarily hitting the nose of the girl (who was still bent to him) with his forehead.

"Itai!" both yelled, hands automatically touching the spots that they hit.

Sasuke mumbled vulgar words to himself before he turned to look at Sakura, whose two hands were covering her lower face. The impact was rather strong, that Sasuke was quite afraid that he hurt Sakura badly.

He turned to face her and touched her hands that were covering her nose. "Ooi, take your hands off, Sakura," he ordered. The girl's eyes were squeezed shut as she shook her head no. Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Take your hands off, so I can see what happened."

Sakura let out a muffled "No."

Sasuke was left with no other choice as he forcefully pulled the girl's hands away. His eyes narrowed at the sight of blood on Sakura's hands. He stared at her face and instantly noticed her nose was bleeding.

Strangely, he did not feel like his forehead was still throbbing. Guilt was pressing at him so hard that all he could ever think was how idiotic he was at accidentally hurting his new _friend_.

"My nose . . . ," mumbled Sakura, staring at both her hands, which Sasuke was still holding down, ". . . is bleeding."

"Hn," grumbled Sasuke. He turned to his backpack and unzipped the outer pocket, taking out a chequered dark blue handkerchief. He cautiously dabbed it to Sakura's nose. "Here, hold it in."

Sakura did as she was told to. She pressed the handkerchief to her nose and looked up when he told her to. He said it could at least help stop the bleeding.

"I'm not going to apologise," said Sasuke minutes later. He looked determined.

He was rendered amazed when the girl managed to glare at him despite looking upwards. He found it amusing that one moment, she was passive. The next moment, she was timid, Then next, she would be friendly. As Sasuke stared at her, he realised she could also be bold.

It appeared that the bleeding had stopped, so Sakura finally straightened herself to glare at him. "I think my nose is all black and blue now," she lightly complained, still glowering. "And you said you're not even going to apologise?"

"We're not even _close_, so don't get ahead of yourself," said Sasuke. He was testing her limitations.

Sakura looked offended. "I'm not getting ahead of myself! It's just that my first impression of you is some decent guy who knows how to apologise when he _must_. I stand corrected, then."

It was almost funny seeing her pretty fiery. He never got close to understanding how she could be an angel moments earlier, and a defiant young woman moments later.

Sasuke could simply smirk. "Do you want to know why I chose not to apologise?"

It was apparent that Sakura was waiting for his answer, so he continued, "It's because as far as I am concerned, I didn't fall asleep on _your_ lap. How did I end up lying on your lap anyway?"

Sakura blushed a many shades of red. Her noticeable bruised nose had _almost_ gone unnoticed due to her redness.

"Well!" she exclaimed, folding her arms across her chest. "Do you think it's my problem that my shoulder felt numb after you leaned on it and slept on it for half an hour? Do you think it's my problem that I thought you weren't relaxed with your position so I decided to—as cautiously as possible—make you sleep on my lap to lessen the discomfort?"

Sasuke watched with raised eyebrows and dancing amusement as she huffed and puffed.

"Do you think it's my problem that I was trying to be good?"

"Hn, hn, hn," said Sasuke shrugging. He muttered something along the lines of "This girl has some real fiery temper" that Sakura did not fail to hear.

The pink-haired girl stood up and glared down at him. "It's certainly not my problem that I have some _real fiery temper_. Lastly, how in the world should I know what your _hn_s mean?"

Sasuke shook his head. One incident led to another and another. How surprising.

"Yes, yes, yes," answered Sasuke. His face morphed into utmost seriousness as he extended out his hand and said, "Sit back down."

"No."

"I said sit _down_."

Sakura held her head up. "Or what?"

The black-haired lad inwardly smirked. He had not experienced playing such a stunt to any girls before, nor had he tried to have a comical argument with one. Also, if he had once thought that Sakura was mysterious, in their third meeting that time, he proved himself wrong. She was certainly not the person he expected her to be—some quiet, perceptive, and composed girl.

He found himself enjoying the visit more than anything. He should always do this.

"Or I'll be the one"—he leaned up and his hand enclosed her wrist—"to pull you down."

And he did pull her down just as he said so. The girl, stunned, staggered and instantly found herself kneeling right in front of Sasuke. She glared, although there was a smile threatening to take over her lips any time soon.

The moment she landed in front of him, Sasuke's face blanked and his eyes narrowed. He watched as the girl's face transformed from a slightly smiling one to a confused look. Then he said the words that had Sakura's fist meet his face. Hard.

"_You're annoying_."

The moment Sakura's fist made contact with his nose, Sasuke's body swayed slightly, pulling back a little. His hands swiped the little blood the oozed from his nose as he glowered at the pink-haired mystery in front of him.

"What did you do that for?" he grumbled.

Sakura huffed, looking away in what Sasuke thought to be _disgust_. He inwardly wondered what was disgusting.

"That one's for taunting me earlier," Sakura mumbled, before turning her attention back to him. She glared. "And this one—"

Before Sasuke could move away, another balled hand made contact with his lips.

"—is for calling me _annoying_."

Sasuke stared at the girl, highly incredulous. His eyes trailed over her panting figure. The shawl that was wrapped around her shoulders was discarded to the ground beside her, and some few fringes of hair messily framed her face.

Pain was evoked from the corner of his lips. He stared at his thumb that he used to touch the pained area and glared. The girl had some knack for punching. There was blood.

He stunned the girl for another moment when he made way for a smirk.

"You know," he started, looking up at her, "you really are so very different."

Sakura blinked. "Are you suffering from multiple personality disorder?"

Sasuke's smirk stretched. "Why, are you?"

"I'm asking _you_," said Sakura. She gave a strong emphasis on the pronoun _you_. "One moment, you're impassive. Next, you're interested. Then you'll be all good, then annoyed, then harsh . . . . What _are_ you?"

Silence wrapped around the atmosphere, surprisingly deafening Sasuke's ears. It was almost ethereal to only have heard of the afternoon chirping of birds and steady rustling of leaves. Staring at Sakura made everything even more different for Sasuke that it was almost eerie.

He shook his head and said, "Says the girl who pushes me away at first, makes amends with me later, and then punches me at the latest. Now, let me ask you—_what_ are you?"

Just what was she?

Sakura's eyes widened upon his question.

"You know, I was just making fun out of you," admitted Sasuke, smirking. He shrugged a shoulder before sitting himself upright, one knee bended towards his chest, while his other leg was stretched out. "Don't take those seriously."

"A—Aa, hai," mumbled Sakura. They stared at each other long enough for a full minute before she continued, "Anou . . . you said something about you being suicidal earlier . . . what—"

Sasuke had almost come close to laughing, if it were not for his self-control. He was shaking, and he could hardly fight the want to laugh out loud upon the change of the personality of the girl. He could not believe that she was being timid that time somehow.

He almost gave up from struggling when Sakura let out an exasperated and annoyed scream.

"_Now_ what's up?" asked Sakura. Her eyes shone with incredulity, and her shoulders were hunched and were screaming exasperation.

Sasuke shook his head. "N-Nothing—it's nothing," he stammered, a huge smirk on his lips. He rubbed the back of his hand to his nose and made sure that no dried blood was left. "I'm never this amused."

"I . . . I _amuse_ you?" Sakura looked offended. "In what way?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Your temper, for one," he said. His lips were graced with a small smile. "And . . . look, I never told this to anybody else, so forget it the moment you heard it . . . ."

He waited for Sakura to nod, which, hesitantly, she did.

"You're beautiful."

Sakura looked abashed. "I'm . . . _what_?"

Nonchalance etched itself on Sasuke's face. He scooted over so he could lean on the tree they were under. His black eyes watched as leaves danced themselves down to the ground, the anemones scattered everywhere ignorant of them.

"I said forget I said it the moment you heard it," repeated Sasuke, staring at her from the corners of his eyes. He stood up and dusted the dirt off his pants. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I was suicidal two years ago because I lost someone."

"You . . . lost someone?"

"Hn. It's bad enough when you thought you had a tomorrow when she . . . ." Sasuke paused his bangs creating a dim shadow over the top half of his face. "She didn't have tomorrow."

Sasuke let out a mirthless chuckle, shaking his head in the process, when Sakura replied, "You fell in love and lost the girl?"

"I rejected her, and no, I didn't really lose her," answered the black-haired young man. He looked down to Sakura's interested face and continued, "I didn't particularly appreciate _her_. I was . . . ."

Sakura looked at him.

"I was so downright . . . guilty."

"You mean she . . . ."

"She killed herself," supplied Sasuke, shaking his head. His eyes caught a glimpse of his forgotten book, so he took a grab for it and browsed through it. As he did so, he was aware that Sakura was watching him.

A few moments later, he was finally able to find what he was looking for. "This phrase is ironic," he said.

Sakura looked over to the phrase he was talking about. Audibly, she read, "_A thing worse than a boy who hates you is a boy who loves you_."

Sasuke said, "I found out that a thing worse than a _girl_ who hates you is a girl who loves you. I am sorry I didn't love her—I just can't. I just don't."

"But that doesn't give enough reason for you to be suicidal." The pink-haired girl scooted closer and sighed. "There has to be some deeper underlying reason why you had once been like that. Now I wonder, what could that reason be?"

The dark-haired boy stared down to her. His black-eyes were darker as the sunlight contrasted with his shadows, while Sakura's verdant eyes looked even brighter and vigorous by the way the light illuminated towards her.

"Should I really know?" asked Sasuke.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably on the grassy ground and slightly leaned on the huge tree trunk behind her. She pursed her lips.

"You attempted to kill yourself and you didn't know the real reason why?"

"If I do, let me ask you now," said Sasuke, turning his whole body to face the girl. "Tell me why I should unveil my reasons to you."

The pink-haired girl attempted to reply, but the moment she opened her mouth, she closed it immediately, words evidently failing her. Sasuke watched her as she stalled and sighed later on.

Sasuke shrugged. "I thought so."

"But you shouldn't kill yourself!"

"Why?" Sasuke questioned. He knelt down on one knee and stared down to Sakura. His eyebrows deepened into a crease in between. "Did I?"

Sakura somehow looked embarrassed and affronted at the same time, so she looked away. She murmured something, which Sasuke didn't quite get.

"What was that?"

"I said at least don't try or attempt on doing so!" Sakura reiterated, looking back at Sasuke with aggressive eyes. "Suicides—they're despicable!"

Sasuke sat down completely, face-to-face with his new pink-haired acquaintance, and placed his elbows atop his bended knees. He cocked his head to the side and observed the girl.

The look on her face said it all. Something had happened to her.

"Did something happen to you?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head no. Sasuke frowned at that. It was apparent that she was hiding something.

"Tell me," said Sasuke. It sounded much more like an order. "I told you the core reason why I attempted so many times before to kill myself, now tell me at least something about what happened to _you_."

A sour smile graced Sakura's lips.

"I have an older sister, you know," she said, her voice barely audible. Sasuke had to somehow lean towards her to hear what she was saying. "She was very pretty—very beautiful. She had long pink locks like mine, but hers were more vibrant and gorgeous. People always praised her and I—"

Sasuke's eyes lowered to the grass. It was turning orange from the red sun that was illuminating its setting light on them.

"You were the wallflower," supplied Sasuke, to which Sakura numbly nodded her head to.

"When we were alone, she would always praise me and tell me how pretty I am, how smart and better I am . . . until something in me s-snapped and just—just—just told her to go away—I hated her—just go away—I—I didn't want to see her ever again!" Sakura was panting, and her face was contorted. A single line of tear slid down her left cheek to which Sasuke's heart jumped up. Sasuke almost gulped when Sakura looked back up to him. "And you know what she did, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke remained silent. He did not know if he should reply to her question—he did not know if his hypothesis was somehow near the real thing. However, there was something in him that his thoughts were angling towards what really happened.

"Don't tell me . . . ," started Sasuke, eyeing the girl incredulously.

"There—there on the bed of _pretty_ anemones"—she pursed her lips angrily and looked around, eyes sparkling with unshed tears—"on those _disgustingly_ pretty anemones—she killed herself and—more than anything—I _loathed _myself."

Sasuke could only watch with disbelieving eyes as Sakura placed her hand on her mouth, urging herself not to shed tears. He could not do anything.

"My parents _hated_ me, Sasuke-kun."

In one swift motion, Sasuke found himself hugging the pink-haired girl to comfort.

"Ooi," he started, placing a hand on her back and the other to the back of her head, "you're beautiful. And do _not_ forget I said that."

Sasuke felt the girl stiffen on his figure. Her sobbing strengthened, and the shaking of her shoulders did, too. The sky was darkening into purple paints, and somewhere were sheer stripes of orange and red.

"Thank you," Sakura mumbled against his shoulder.

_I felt like I found a female replica of me—contradicting me, but still somehow the same. Brighter than me . . . and yet, we're like one. Overshadowed and self-demeaning. But still . . . ._

"You're welcome."

_I am Sasuke, and she is Sakura—_

Sasuke felt to arms wrap reciprocate his embrace. Sakura's shoulders shook further and her sobbing grew even louder.

_I am a monster, and she's a certain . . . _yamato nadeshiko.

**. . . to be continued**

_**The saddest love story is never in love before.**_

**.romaji.**

_anou _- umm

_itai _- ouch

_yamato nadeshiko_ - wait, if I am not mistaken, I think this means "perfect woman" or something . . .

**author's note **_Moe~ thank you very much for all the reviews, alerts, and favourites! 3 Moi loves it all! I know this chapter is really short, but I thought of giving the two some moment together without any other characters in so yeah. xD _

_Did this chapter answer something from your unresolved questions? ;)  
><em>**author's thanks to the following reviewers **minniemousemom, . RaWR . SMiLe . CHoMP ., ImaFREAK, palitos, Laurie-Estelle, Miss Minaj, xiamesmee, MissAnimeFreakXD, little miss flutterfly, aris-chan, SoANIMEfreakdd**  
>authored by <strong>finish line


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